Buzz Blog

In The Loop: 6/15/13. It's Festival Season, Ma!

Hello to all you sunbathing, shorts-wearing, piña colada-drinking. Lake Powell-driving, sundress-donning, sweat-beading, is-it-hot-around-here-or-just-nature enthusiasts! --- With a gust of wind and a couple of days of clear skies, we went from springtime allergies to summertime laziness. I really don't have a better opening today because nothing really pissed me off the past couple of weeks. But it's summer, and UTA is due for some ridiculous bullshit, so I'm sure something will peak in two weeks. In lieu of a 337 update, here's some random art from downtown SLC:

Like anytime in summer, there's a bunch of events, but a lot of them are minor and some barely getting off their feet, so I'm going to highlight the ones you need to pay attention to and should probably attend the next few weeks. First up, the Groove Garden returns to the Garage, as Mr. Jesse Walker, along with J Rapp, RIA, V2/PrissCO and more will be spinning all day long for a free party (not the food or drink), starting at 2 p.m. Head over and enjoy the fun.

Of course, the first of the two big June events will be the Utah Arts Festival, due to take over the City Library and Washington Square from June 20-23 and featuring over 200 artists, 100 bands and musicians, the incorporation of Craft Lake City and The Leonardo, a Color Me Rad 5K on Saturday, the Urban Arts area, Fear No Film and so much more for you to check out. Trying to compress it all into a paragraph won't do it justice -- you should just attend. Or for you lazy folk, in about a week and a half, I'll have complete photos and some band interviews for you to check out. But trust me, leave the damned house and check it out.

On June 21, the SLC Arts Hub will be celebrating National Go Skateboarding Day with a big demo and party happening at its building. The free evening will include music and a BBQ, along with some of SLC's finest boarders showing off their skills and encouraging others to join in the fun. It all kicks off at 6:30 p.m.

Forward to the following week, the big event to watch for will be Crucialfest 2013: 10 showcases over four days at places like Kilby Court, The Shred Shed, Urban Lounge, Bar Deluxe, The Woodshed, The Heavy Metal Shop, Burt's Tiki Lounge and Wasted Space. If you want an experience with local music and visiting acts, this is the fest to be a part of. $25 will buy you a wristband to get you into every show! If you skip out on this event, you should be beaten over the head with a Peavey amp. Attend and celebrate some of the best rock and hip-hop in the city.

Finally, June 28-29, Velo City Bags will be throwing its second-annual Velo Weekend. If you're a member of the cycling community, or just an enthusiast, not attending this event is a crime. You're going to see the Critical Mass crew riding around town, a Tall Bike Joust, a major city alley cat, trick competitions, live-music performances, Salt City Sprints races and much more. You can register on their website right now and plan out events with your friends. Trust me, this is worth attending.

As for the blog: Over the next couple of weeks, it's mostly festival coverage for me, along with a cycling group, a live interview show, a look at an independent dance company, the latest from Gallery Stroll and the SLAC season closer. At least, that's the plan for now; there's a lot happening in our scene these days and you never know what may pop up. As always, we'll see what comes down.